Castle Dale Elementary raises $, principal loses hair
| Principal Worthen admires his new hairdo. |
They may be Sleepless in Seattle, but in Castle Dale Ralph Worthen, principal at Castle Dale Elementary, is hairless. He challenged the students to bring in quarters for KSL TV Quarters for Christmas campaign. “Our school received 10 certificates for shoes for students in need here at Castle Dale Elementary. Each certificate is worth $30 to be used to purchase shoes for 10 of our students. When I had finished distributing the certificates, I thought it would be nice if we could raise enough money to cover the cost of the shoes, and then donate that money to the Quarters for Christmas campaign in the name of Castle Dale Elementary,” said Principal Worthen.
A jar was set up near the office of the school for the children to donate their quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. After a week, there was nearly $10 in the jar. Worthen and the school secretary, Colleen Bott, decided that they needed some incentive for the students to donate to the cause. Bott and Worthen decided to inform the students that Worthen would shave off his mustache if the students could meet the $300 goal.
Shortly after the announcement, money began to fill the jar. Someone asked what would happen if they gathered more than $300. Worthen told the students if they gathered $500, he would shave his head.
When word of this challenge was out, donations began pouring in from many places. Even Worthen’s children began to donate money. Some of his own children had never seen him without the mustache, let alone having a shaved head.
| The students of Castle Dale Elementary cheer as their principal, Ralph Worthen goes from a full head of hair to near baldness. |
On Dec. 21, the students of Castle Dale Elementary were asked to come into the gymnasium to watch their Principal shave off his mustache. When they were gathered and quiet, Principal Worthen made the announcement that enough money had been donated for him to shave off his mustache. He promptly brought out a razor and shaved off the mustache accompanied by the rousing cheers from the studentbody.
When he had finished, he told the students they could return to class. The questions came about the total amount collected and if they had received enough for him to shave his head. Principal Worthen began to contemplate the removal of his hair. He told the students that 847… pennies had been collected.
Worthen went on to tell the students the totals of each of the denominations of coins that had been collected. He then told them how many dollar bills, five dollar bills, $10 bill, and $20 bills had come in. He also said one $50 had come in and a direct bank deposit for more than $130 had been collected. Principal Worthen announced that a grand total of $1,087.87 had been donated for the Quarters for Christmas campaign.
The studentbody representatives, Hailee Rogers, Spencer Labrum, Lexus Huntsman, Reo Nelson, Curtis Mason, Corbin Barnett, Brendon Jorgensen and Zachary Prettyman, were asked to come forward and each of them took turns with the razor and shaved Principal Worthen’s head. The students cheered as the wavy locks came off their principal’s head. Bott and Worthen’s daughter, Makayla, tidied up the hair cut. When the shaving was complete, the student council members gave Worthen a hat to keep his head warm until the hair grows back.